Post Mortem - Air India Express Flight 1344 accident at Kozhikode Airport

About the Author

Mehaboob Chakkarathodi is an Independent Aviation Consultant and a former British Airways Airport Manager stationed in the Middle East. One of his prime accountability was the role of Station Reporting Official, in-charge of managing airline disasters and emergencies, for over 18 years.

Preface

This article is a report that highlights some key observations on the crash of Air India Express Flight 1344 from Dubai (UAE) to Kozhikode (India) on 7 August 2020. These observations are my personal opinions formed based on media reports that include news coverage and interviews with the various people involved (Passengers, Airport Officials, DGCA, Police and people engaged in the rescue efforts). This article is intended neither as an alternative narrative nor as a contradiction of any official report on this matter. As such, this should be taken as a preliminary hypothesis and not a final conclusion. We will have to wait for the official report from the AAIB (‘Air Accident Investigation Bureau’) before making any conclusive statements.

This report is aimed to provide some feedback to Air India Express, DGCA, Airports and Airlines Emergency Planning teams worldwide. This report contains a detailed analysis of 1) The Incident in Brief and Special Circumstances, 2) What went well in the Response, 3) What did not go well, 4) Opportunities: Way Forward, 5) Aftermath of the Incident and a 6) Postface including anecdote of a survivor.

1. Introduction

It has been over two weeks since the tragic event at Calicut International Airport (IATA: CCJ). My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims of the tragedy and their family. While immediate response to the incident has been completed – by the Airport, the Airline, the Search & Rescue Teams and the Medical Teams – there is still a very long way before the wounds (both emotional and physical) heal for those affected by the tragedy.

I am confident that at this juncture, the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (“AAIB”) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (“DGCA”) already have a preliminary conclusion on the fundamentals of the incident – (a) What happened and (b) How did it happen? It is also conceivable that they already have started formulating action plans to avert similar incidents in the future. An AAIB safety investigation is typically a long process. It could be months (even years) before we get a final report on the incident.

Airports and Airlines are always prepared to manage multiple types of emergencies both in and around airports. They have established processes in place to handle them. Extensive emergency plans are drawn up to ensure a well-coordinated response. These plans are rigorously tested and frequently exercised as mandated both by the DGCA and International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”). Even with these preparations, when an actual incident occurs, it is often more complex and messier than any plan would have envisaged. This is why such incidents remains challenging across the world for all stakeholders involved.

It is therefore necessary to conduct a post-facto de-brief on the response, a post mortem of sorts, to learn valuable lessons and implement them. While it is not prudent to speculate based on unverified claims and we should ideally wait for the finally report from the AAIB, I would like to take this opportunity to conduct a preliminary post-portmen of the response to the incident based on verified news reports, global best practices and my experience in this area.

The Incident in Brief

Let us start at the beginning. On 7 August 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344, a 13-year-old Boeing 737-800 NG, was flying from Dubai (UAE) to Kozhikode (India) as part of the Government of India’s “Vande Bharat Mission”. The flight’s objective was to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE as a result of the COVID19 pandemic and the resulting national lockdowns. Many of the passengers has paid for their ticket despite recent job losses and had waited for several days to get a chance to fly back home. Among the passengers were families with kids, expectant mothers, the recently unemployed, and those whose visa has recently expired. The mood on-board was described as calm and happy with everyone looking forward to return to their home land Kerala – often know by the sobriquet ‘God’s Own Country’.

Weather conditions in the evening of 7 August 2020 can be characterized as ‘moderate’. The seasonal monsoons were in full swing. There were moderate rains leading to a wet runway. The wind direction was 260 degrees with a speed of 12 knot (nautical miles per hour). Visibility was approximately 2000 meters.

IX1344 was attempting to land at its final destination Calicut International Airport. It was a table top single runway airport with the capability to allow aircrafts to land from both sides (Runway 28 and Runway 10). In their first attempt, the crew was approaching Runway No.28 but decided to “Go-Around”. On second (and final) approach, the aircraft touched ground nearly 3000 feet away from the designated ‘touch down’ zone. This led to the aircraft losing approximately one-third of the runway length. It is suspected that the flight was over-speeding during landing. At approximately 19:41 (Indian Standard Time), the aircraft overshot the runway and fell 35 feet into the valley at the end of the runway strip.

Of the 190 passengers and crew on-board, 18 lost their lives and another 149 sustained injuries, some of which were severe orthopedic conditions requiring intensive care. A few lost their lives in the hospital after a prolonged battle for survival. Given the nature of the flight, some of the victims had also tested positive for COVID19. Fortunately, the aircraft did not catch fire which contributed to the high survival rate.

Just for a more completed perspective, it is helpful to note that the airport and its surrounding area which included the nearby town of Kondotty were part of a COVID19 ‘containment area’. Public movement was restricted, shops and malls were closed expect for essential commodities, public transport systems were non-functioning (including limited Airport Taxis) and there were minimal staff on duty across offices.

Grading the severity of the Incident

Let’s benchmark this incident against previous similar air accidents to enable us to determine the severity. The key factors to note are that – (a) Air India Express is an Indian state-owned airline,   (b) All passengers were Indian citizens, (c) All passengers spoke the same language (Malayalam) and (d) Most passengers lived in a 30 Kms radius of the incident. All these factors lead to the classification of the incident as a ‘Minor’ incident. Had any one of these factors been different, the situation would have got increasingly complex to handle.

A foreign airliner, with incident happening on foreign lands and international passengers, the magnitude of law enforcement stakeholders would quickly increase. This includes active involvement of embassies, foreign governments and families of overseas passengers arriving at the location from different parts of the world.

The Table Top Factor & Comparison to Mangalore

Almost immediately, suspicion was thrown on the nature of the airport itself. Calicut International Airport has a Table Top Runway, which means that it looks over a steep gorge on both sides. Pilots must follow a precise approach while landing to ensure that the flight does not skid off the runway and all into the gorge. Table Top Runways are not inherently risky and, in my opinion, did not directly contribute to the incident. In fact, there are many airports located in far more riskier geographies which do not see any accidents. That being said, it is best practice to conduct a complete Risk Assessment of all table top runways in India - Mangalore in Karnataka, Kozhikode in Kerala and Lengpui in Mizoram, Shimla and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh and Pakyong in Sikkim.

This incident was also compared to the crash of Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai to Mangalore which crashed on landing at Mangalore on 22 May 2010. I think the comparison to the Mangalore incident is premature. This incident must be investigated independently.

Evolution of Addressing Aviation Accidents

In December 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew in what became known as ‘Lockerbie Bombing’. This incident would drastically change the way we handle Operations and Crisis Management it the aviation industry. CNN reporters were the first people at the crash site and booked out all the available hotel rooms in the small nearby Scottish village. This contributed to a lot of difficulties for aviation officials, airline officials and investigators to manage the crisis. This would result in making ‘Hotel Room Bookings’ and ‘Media Management’ key components of the Emergency Response plan and protocols for handling such crisis. The key change to the aviation industry’s safety procedures was the introduction of the concept of ‘Baggage Reconciliation’. It ensures that baggage loaded on an aircraft belongs to passengers that have actually boarded that specific aircraft i.e. AAA Accounting & Authorizing of hold baggage.

The 9/11 attacks would bring another round of significant changes in airline operations procedures. From improved security screenings, reinforced & bullet proof cockpit doors, and introduction of air marshals. Those were challenging times for the aviation industry which would see fundamental restructuring in safety and security standards. Similarly, the Shoe Bomber incident in 2001 would also lead to the introduction of screening of Foot wears and shoes which were previously never checked at security points. Even the ‘Liquid Policy’ was a reaction to security incidents.

The idea that I am pointing out here is that we continue to learn valuable lessons from any incident. However, this does not mean that we should wait for an incident and reactively respond. Aviation experts continue to proactively research and innovate ways to enhance safety and security standards. The past three decades have seen significant changes in the way we address aviation accidents and safety & security incidents.

The DGCA needs to continuously monitor adherence to its guidelines by airports across India. We may have good policies and procedures on paper, but ineffective implementation will lead to tragedy.

2. What went well in the response to the incident?

The Many Unnamed Saviors 

The first responders to this incident were actually the people residing around the airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (“CISF”) posted at the airport allowed the local residents to access the crash site through an emergency vehicle access gate. I think the CISF very quickly realized that the enormity of the incident was beyond the capacity of on-duty staff to handle.

Over 25 young people rushed to the crash site almost immediately and volunteered in the search and rescue operations; much before the arrival of emergency services and ambulances. This despite them being fully aware that they were in a COVID19 ‘Containment Area’ and the people on-board could be potentially infected.

This ‘Malappuram’ sense of public and social services had a critical role to play in saving lives. These local residents rushed many of the victims to nearby hospitals in private vehicles and auto rikshaws. This helped reduce the fatality numbers as many of the passengers needed urgent medical attention. Many people were also queuing up at the various hospitals where the injured were taken to donate blood despite the COVID19 lockdown and the heavy torrential rainfalls at night.

This out-pouring of love and compassion was heartwarming. These people were, and rightly so, receiving compliments from all over the country. Well done!!

Actions of Local Public Representatives

Both the Malappuram Member of Parliament (Mr PK Kunhali Kutty) and the Kondotty Member of Legislative Assembly (Mr TV Ibrahim) were present at the nearest hospital (Relief Hospital). They arrived directly at the hospital, addressed the media, spoke with the duty doctor, and consoled both the survivors and families of the dead. They also supported in connecting separated children with their families. The MLA appeared on TV appealing to the public in helping with the tracing of parents or guardians. This was well appreciated. It is the role and core capability of public representatives to handle the public. I would like to give a special shout out to the civil Police Officer who stayed and guarded a child until the guardians arrived.

Actions of the Central Government

Both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were quick to respond. The PM got in touch with the Kerala Chief Minister and offered full support. The Aviation Minister, Mr Hardeep Sing Puri, conducted a media briefing that was very well handled. He was in control and displayed empathy while also offering interim payment and support. In short, all political leaders, who were accountable from an aviation disaster perspective responded swiftly and aptly.

The first Relief Aircraft was dispatched from New Delhi at 02:00 am just six hours after the incident!! The second was dispatched at 05:00am. The Chief Minister of Kerala, the Governor of Kerala and the Union Aviation Minister arrived on the third Relief aircraft later that day. The Aviation Minister had stated that he purposely delayed his arrival to allow the DGCA and Airline team to arrive early and support the station. Indeed, the presence of Ministers, MPs and MLAs may unintentionally divert the attention from the crisis management due to unwarranted protocols and escorts. This is a very valid point. The Chief Minister and the Governor visited the crash site and hospitals along with the Aviation Minister. The Kerala Health Minister was involved in providing guidance to medial teams and hospitals.

News Media and Social Media

Malayalam news channels had extensive coverage of incidents with many channels reaching the accident site fairly quickly. Their reporting helped bring better awareness to the public which manifested in two important benefits – (a) Families and friends of the victims of the tragedy knew where to go and what to do, and (b) General public responded very quickly to need for blood donors.

Another effective mode of communication was social media, specifically WhatsApp. It was widely and effectively used to communicate by social workers and volunteers to engage the public and elicit support where needed. From connecting lost kids with their parents or guardians, to organizing donors for blood and locating survivors who were spread across 13 different hospitals in a 40 Km radius.

Diplomatic Efforts

Since the flight originated from the UAE, the UAE Consulate published their helpline numbers. This was a very helpful move. India’s Embassy in Dubai (UAE) was kept open and helpline numbers published. Air India call Centre in Sharjah was activated.

Typically, most embassies and consulates activate their own standard emergency plans to support carriers based in their countries and to support their nationals. I have had the opportunity to work closely with the UK and US embassies in the Middle East. They have very effective ‘Warden’ systems in place to mobilize their volunteers and nationals.

3. What did not go well in the response to the incident? (Areas for Improvement)

Inordinate delay in press briefing

No statement or press release was forth coming either from the Air India Express or the Airport for the first four hours to confirm the incident. This contributed to many wild speculations doing the rounds for several hours. Ideally the Airport and Airline should have conducted a join media press release to put to rest these speculations. Additionally, the airport did not have a designated Media Briefing Room that could have been activated in such an incident.

The District Collector has provided a short media briefing after all the survivors had been dispersed and shifted to hospitals. It was conducted at the land-side terminal area which was an extremely noisy atmosphere. The message was not communicated clearly. It would have been advisable to provide a printed copy of the holding statement in such a scenario.

Proper media briefings are critical to stem the tide of fake news and speculations. It also helps the news media to have access to the correct facts and numbers. Additionally, it will help families get access to the right information on the whereabouts of the survivors and also learn about the helpline numbers that have been setup.

Right to Privacy

There were serious privacy concerns as personal confidential data like name, age and addresses of passengers on the flight were widely shared on WhatsApp and new channels within approximately four hours of the incident. In fact, the passenger list and hospital list, had somehow leaked out and was doing the rounds in WhatsApp. There is as yet no confirmation if this list is actual and verified. This should be a serious concern for Airlines in general.

Breaches in Response Protocols and potential jeopardization of evidence

While the response of the local residents was admirably and even necessary, it does raise serious concerns as untrained people were carrying out rescue effort which could have put both the life of these residents and the survivors at risk. Cargo holds of airliners include many dangerous goods which may include corrosives, explosives, gases and even radio-active materials. It requires trained professionals to identify and navigate these goods in an emergency incident.

Another point to consider is that the crash site is effectively a ‘Crime Scene’. It must be protected till the AAIB investigation is complete. Vital pieces of evidence may be lost or tampered with if the untrained people have unrestricted access.

It is necessary to deliberate and bring out appropriate measures that needs to be incorporated to ensure that any such future incident will ensure that trained professionals are available for quick deployment.

Conduct of Media

News media published death notifications as ‘Breaking News’ showcasing both the name and photo of victims on Live TV. No one would like to see the death of their loved one’s notified on TV. The next of kin have a right to get the information before it is published to the larger world. At minimum, the family deserves that much respect.

One key contributing factor to this is that India does not have any formal policy or agreement on Death Notification. To put it briefly, whose responsibility will it be to notify death? Will it be the role of the Police, Airlines, or another entity? There is a need to formally defined a code of conduct in this regard for all stakeholders involved.

There was also a tendency to interview survivors, their family and doctors at hospitals during the course of rescue operations. Such actions should have been deferred until after immediate treatment has been completed and the survivors were in the right mental and physical state.

A control room number was published on TV. To the best of my knowledge this was not the incident control room number. It is not good people call incident control room for People information. It seemed like a helpline number for families to get information on survivors . This should have clearly specified this as public enquiry number or help line number for general public to understand it very clearly. ECC Control room number should be published only for those managing the incident.

Other Open Questions

Global standard procedures for such an incident requires the activation of:

• Hotels & Hospitals – Where any rooms available and where they blocked? Are there POs / MoUs / Contracts in place with hotels to handle such an eventuality?
• Friends and Relatives Reception Centre
• Airport Triage and Survivor Reception Centre – Most survivors were directly rushed to hospitals
• Perhaps there is a need to relook at the Emergency Plans at the airport.

An interim compensation amount was announced without providing any mechanism to allow for advance payments to survivors to meet their immediate needs. Perhaps we could consider providing direct cash , transfers, providing payment cards or even digital payment options like Google Pay/PayTM/PhonePe.

On final item to point out was that there were a group of politicians (MLAs & other local representatives) who visited the crash site as a sight-seeing tour for a photo session. Political Leaders who are not accountable to managing an aviation disaster should not be permitted to access the crash site as part of strict protocol.

4. Opportunities: Some possible ways forward

Improved Operating Procedures and Readiness

Airlifting Critical Passengers – It is necessary to put in place facilities to airlift extremely critical passengers from the airport to the closest hospitals. The nearest hospitals are at least 30 – 35 Kms away and the main road connecting the airport to them tend to get congested very often. This will of course require helipads to be available at main hospitals.

Creating a Team of Trained Local Residents – Creating a volunteer group of a 100-strong local residents who are trained in basic first aid, fire handling and aircraft access procedures. This will ensure a trained team is readily available during emergencies. Additionally, airport could call them to attend the full-scale emergency exercise to ensure and they get a great feel of the emergency procedures.

Formally enlisting voluntary organizations – There are multiple voluntary organizations in Pulikkal and Kondotty whose assistance can be formally enlisted to control traffic, vehicular movements and crowd control during an emergency situation. They can also assist in getting donors for blood. The local administration consular team could be also considered.

Local MPs and MLAs – They may be formally invited to observe the full emergency exercise at the Airport. We could make use of them at the reception centers, Hospitals and to meet Friend and Relatives. Their contact must be listed Emergency Plan.

Enlisting Ex-Airline Employees – There are lots of ex-airlines and airport employees residing in a 30 Kms range of Kozhikode Airport. They may be listed as volunteers on call and can be used for assisting in non-sensitive areas.

Pre-Printed Crisis Access Pass – Consider having crisis site access passes to ensure only authorized officials get entry to crash site. Please consider the DGCA, AAIB, Airline and other Airport officers to be part of the pool of authorized officials. A minimum of 250-300 pre-printed cards with serial numbers would be required.

Updated Contact Details – Update phone numbers of Hotels, Hospitals, Embassies, Taxis and Coach companies.

Proactive & Preventive Actions

Length and Strength of the Runway – Based on the news reports, DGCA has temporally suspended the wide body D-type aircraft operations. This is an immediate precautionary measure, following the incident. This must be risk-assessed in due course. There are no restrictions put on smaller C types B737/ A320 type. Flights are still landing here even after the incident.

Closing the Airport Not a Fix – Closing down an Airport or a runway is not a solution. There are several ways to ensure safety at this Airport. Airlines, DGCA Safety and Aerodrome Safety experts can put some Safety Risk assessments and put various risk reduction, mitigation processes in place.

Runway Length as a Long-Term Fix – Government, politicians and the public must support the case to increase the runway length. Huge land acquisition may not be required to just expand the runway by another 1000 or 1500 Feet. This will also help introduce a runway end safety area (RESA) on both sides of the runway.

EMAS (Engineered Materials Arresting System) – EMAS is a secondary option, but very expensive to invest at a small commercial Airport. However, this may not be practically helpful for heavy  commercial flights. EMAS is currently used in USA and by their military where the runway is very short. Our Aviation Safety experts could brainstorm and agree on some viable alternate methods of Arresting Systems.

Inspection and Maintenance: Regular runway inspections and maintenance must be carried out along with processes in place to clean up rubber deposits. Evidences and records must be kept of these for audit purposes.

NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) and Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) – Establish a permanent NOTAM / AIS to alert operating crew at flight briefing stage. Since this is a table top runway, this would be the best practice to follow during approach. There is nil additional cost to do this and airlines can issue their own company procedures.

Specialized Trainings – Flight crew training to include Table Top Airport procedures, Obstacle clearance, and contaminated & wet runways.

Maximum weight reduction, publish RTOW (Regulated Takeoff Weight) and RLW (Regulated Landing Weight) – This not a commercially viable option but can be implemented as contingency plan for short term.

Building a robust Safety Policy – Airlines, DGCA Safety and Aerodrome Safety experts can put a plan together.

AOC Airline Operators Committee to raise Safety, Security as a top of the agenda – Any non-compliance and long over-due or pending items can be reported in AOC minutes and raised with ICAO/DGCA level.

Quality Management Systems – Airports can redefine runway and ground Safety audit process. Self-audits, Peer Audits in addition to the DGCA and ICAO audits can be implemented.

Safety as a KPI – All Airport / DGCA and Airline Managers must have Safety as part of the Key Performance Indicator. Accountability and responsibility must be clearly defined. Company / DGCA / Airport Safety Policy must be highlighted for fair and honest safety investigations, avoiding a blame culture.

5. Aftermath of the incident

Kenyon Emergency Services were at the site to support subsequent efforts. Kenyon Emergency Services, headed by Operations Director Ultan Kenny, is involved in search and repatriation of passenger’s personal effects and luggage. Air India Express is a customer of Kenyon Emergency Services. Boeing, being the manufacturer is expected to be part of the investigation. So is the United States National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) who supports investigations that involve any aircraft manufactured in the USA.

The local residents who aided and volunteered in the rescue operations went into quarantine for 14 days in view of potential exposure to COVID19. As of the date of writing this article, there are various reports suggesting that a few of these local residents have been infected by COVID19. Some of the Airport staff, Police and CISF also tested positive.

A police man at the crash site, was so highly impressed with the rescue services of residents of Kondotty, that he went to see them at their quarantine location, and gave them a big salute. Although he did maintain the necessary social distancing and wore the necessary PPE and masks, his salute was not gone down very well with the police force. He was about get a disciplinary notice. However, the public made a huge appeal to waive the action.

In the following weeks, the Malappuram District Collector and District Police SP were also infected by COVID19. The Kerala CM and a few ministers also went into self-quarantine as a precautionary measure.

Questions to be evaluated by AAIB

• The first landing attempt result in a “Go-Around” action? Why was the second landing done in the opposite direction with a tailwind given the wet runway? What was the actual tailwind at the time of the crash?
• What ATC clearance was provided?
• Did the crew make an emergency distress call or outright call an emergency?
• Were there any technical defects reported recently or any minor carry-on items in the TECH Log book in particular to rudders, thrust reverse or anti-skid?
• Who was in control of landing? Commander P1 or First Officer P2?
• The crew was very well experienced and had flown several trips to CCJ Airport in the past. Why was the landing then not precise at touch down zone?
• Why the landing was over speeded? What was the Flap settings used?
• What time was a last runway inspection carried out? Any standing water or rubber formation, contamination reported at the runway?
• Did the Captain shut down the Engines after landing? Did that action help in any way?
• A survivor mentioned that the Captain went for a fuel dump. Why was that? What was the estimated remaining fuel on board?

Conflicting Information

CISF ASI Mr Ajeet Singh mentioned in an interview that he was on duty at the landside emergency gate, the first person to see this accident and called the CISF control room. But the Director General of DGCA mentioned in an interview that the ATC saw the aircraft was over shot runway and ATC alerted the Fire services.

The Aviation Minister announced the compensation amount as INR 10, 00,000/- for the deceased and INR 2,00,000/- for serious injuries, and INR 50,000/- for minor cases. The Aviation Minister re-affirmed on his media briefing session, that this amount mentioned is an interim payment, over and above what passengers are entitled of as per insurance and other compensation. However, a newspaper notice was published by Air India Express on 15th August that the interim payment will be adjusted from the final compensation payable.

The airline compensation, based on conditions of carriage is much higher. This condition of carriage is published and available for passengers. As per Montreal convention 1999, the maximum compensation amount per passenger in case of death or injury is limited to SDR 100,000.

Indian Commercial Pilots' Union (ICPA) and Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) both raised voice over DGCA.

During an NDTV interview, when asked about tail wind, DGCA Mr Arun Kumar, mentioned that he cannot disclose the details of the tail wind, I know but can’t tell you. This has created some suspicion and raised questions.

The other speculations flying around are if the Captain performed a fuel dump prior to landing and he put off the Engines after landing. That now leads to the question why he wanted to reduce landing weight? What was the remaining fuel on board?

6. Conclusion

The final report of the AAIB will need to resolve all the point mentioned above. It will need to highlight the cause the of accident, the action taken after the incidents by all stakeholders and recommend key changes in all aspects to ensure that such accidents are prevented and if they do happen again, then they are handled well.  Only then will we have a comprehensive conclusion to this tragedy.

Safety is not expensive, it is priceless. We have tough lessons to learn from this incident. That being said, statistically, air travel still remains the safest mode of Transport.

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Postface

I am summarizing here a note in Malayalam from Mr Ashik Perumbal, a passenger of IX 1344 whose along with his family survived the accident. They were seated in 14A, 14B, and 14C.

 He was very emotional and first Thanked God for that he and family survived the accident. He has no words to thank the Kondotty, residents and Airport teams, CISF, Fire, and Police who carried out the rescue works. He is talking highly about the Captain and First Officer. He passed his deep condolences. He stared his journey from Ajman and then had a breakfast with family and friends at his favorite restaurant in Karama, Dubai. He lost his job and kids want to have dine out at this restaurant before departing to India. Then reached at the Dubai terminal, completed his formalities and met another family at the Airport travelling on the same flight Helped them to fill the embarkation forms. They were seated in the front (assume row 13) . But they are no more now RIP. Then he thanked the Kondotty Relief Hospital doctors and the emergency triage (causality section) created in the lobby of the Hospital.

 He had purchased duty free goodies for his kids from Dubai Airport, but due to hand baggage restrictions it was returned. He made comments about the warm welcome and attitude of cabin crew. He mentioned few words about the general mood of passengers on board owing to the Covid19 situation. None were eating the refreshments, not drinking water. No one used the Toilet, sat very calmly.

 Then he explained the landing in full details. An announcement was made that landing in 45 minutes. After that there was no announcement at all. The 45 mins was over but still flight was not landing. After very long time, suddenly it started descending for landing, but did not touch the runway and took off again. The 2nd attempt was made after a long time. Before landing 2nd time, he wants for fuel dump. They were landed and aeroplane started jerking and then felt the jerking very strongly. The speed was not at all reducing. Ladies vanity bags were flying around. The Later she skids to left side and heard a big bang.

 He also mentions that the Captain went for a fuel dump before landing at Kozhikode. That now leads to the question why he wanted to reduce landing weight? What was the remaining fuel on board?

Original script in Malayalam

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